82%

That's right studies show that 82% of the friends and family that church members ask to church will attend church services if they are just ask to come. What a number, I mean that is saying that if I ask 10 of my non-church friends to come to church that over 8 of them will say yes and will come. When I saw that number I had to ask myself why is the church not full. I mean if 8 out of 10 people will come if only asked to then why isn't every pew filled up every week. The answer is because the church quit asking. We use to be good about inviting people to church but now days we have stopped. Maybe it is because we are so busy that we have failed to make close friends outside of the church. If that is the case then we should work harder to making sure that we know people that don't go to church. Maybe it is because we just don't want to do it, or we don't want people to see us in the church environment. The fact of the matter is that the church stopped trying to bring people into the house of God and if we are ever going to see the church grow then we have to begin to share the good news with non-church going friends and family. So get out there and invite someone to church this week.

Marching Into the Mission

The World is a very large place, and so when we talk about missions it is easy for us to get overwhelmed by the mere magnitude of it all. I mean really how is someone in Decatur Alabama suppose to make a different in Kenya ,Africa? The truth of the matter is that when God specks to us about going into all the world that is exactly what He means. So many people think that all they have to do is give money to missionaries, which is important, and they have done all that God has required. What they don't understand is that God has equip us all to take the gospel into our world. I mean let's face it we all live in the world and so when He says go into all the world that is what He mean, GO. Go to your neighbors, go down the street, go to work telling them about Jesus. What ever you do just go. God never said that we had to go around the world but just that we had to go in the world around us. We are suppose to taking the word of God to a dying world that is in need of Him and the only way that can happen is if we go and do what God has called us to do. GO

What's God's Will?

What is God's Will? This is a question that everyone ask in one way or another at some point in life. Through different periods of our life we ask what is right for me, should I take this job or should I stay where I am? Should I get married or should I stay single? Should I retire or should I work a couple of more years? Questions that have a great impact on our life. You in the church have heard it preached that God has the answers but the question is how do you know what those answers are?

To know the will of God there are two things that you have know: first you have to know the Permanent will of God. These are the things that God has will to happen that nothing will change. Ex. the second coming of Jesus is known by God and when He is ready for it to take place it will happen. To know God's will you have to be mindful of what He is up to in this world. Second you have to know the Moral will of God. This is what does God expect from you. You will never know the will of God for your personal life if you are living outside the Moral will of God. God's personal will for your life lies somewhere between His Permanent will and His moral will and the more you know about those then then more you can discern what God has for you. Finding the will of God is about knowing God. For more infomation on this subject you can go to the South Decatur Church website and listen to

Honoring a Great Lady

Yesterday I had to attend the funeral of my Grandmother. She was a great lady. As I stood there at the grave side I begin to remember all the memories that I had of her growing up, and I realized that the world could use more people like my Grandmother. Never in all the years that I knew her did I ever hear her speck a bad word about another person. She worked hard everyday, even days when she didn't feel like working. If someone came to house they were going to be welcomed and they were going to be fed a lot of food. She loved her family, and made sure that they knew every time she saw them. She was strong but meek all at the same time. She was always the first person up in the morning and usually the last one to go to bed at night. She never wanted anyone to go out of their way for her, but went out of her way for everyone else. I never saw her act selfishly, and I never saw her lose her temper. She was a lady in every way. She was strong willed but was submissive all at the same time. I remember setting at the table eating breakfast one morning. My Paw was sitting at his end of the table and my Grandmother at the other end. She was getting on to him for not doing what she thought he should have already done, when my meek quiet Paw looked up and simply said Sue (that wasn't her name to anyone but him) that is enough. It was in that moment that I saw her submissive side as she simply dropped the subject. She was a strong woman and she let her opinion be known, but she also knew when a person should let things go. Mary Norris was a person that we all can learn from and the World is going to miss her, I am going to miss her.

God Showed Up!!!

For the last few months I have been so pumped about 2008. South Decatur's forty year anniversary (read prior blogs). Sunday morning was the first Sunday of 2008 and God showed up in an awesome way. I have to amid at first I didn't quit know what kind of service we were going to have. I mean there were allot of people out and when that happens you just don't know how people will respond. Praise and worship was good as always and the Choir did an outstanding job like they always do. I preached on going to the other side and then there was the altar service and it was there that God just blew the doors off the church. I mean people were lined up wanting more of God, and the presence of God was in the house. We prayed for people for hours and the glory of the Lord just filled the house. People were healed, filled and changed. It was awesome. There is nothing like it when God shows up.

Rate the Music

This maybe be one of the best Jars of Clay CDs. I loved it! If you like this band then I highly recommend that you get this CD.

Things will be Great in 08

The year of great things has come to us in 08. As we enter 2008 we enter into a time of great vision and expectation for what is to come. God is doing something in our world today. The Bible says "Where sin does abound, that grace does much more abound". God is doing awesome things in our world and there is no doubt that He is looking to do great things with those that will give themselves to Him. That is what our call is, to give ourselves to the Lord. To make a difference in our world and to impact those around us. So let's make 08 a great year.